President Lee Jae Myung takes questions from reporters during a press conference at the Blue House’s Yeongbingwan state guesthouse in central Seoul on Sept. 18.JOINT PRESS CORPS
President Lee Jae Myung underscored on Friday that South Korea would deploy no troops to the Strait of Hormuz if doing so risked the country’s involvement in an overseas conflict, while leaving open the possibility of Seoul's participation in safeguarding the critical waterway.
“There will be no deployment of troops that involves participation or intervention in the war,” Lee said in a press conference at the Blue House’s Yeongbingwan state guesthouse in central Seoul. “We will not engage in such deployments or dispatch military assets for that purpose; we have upheld this principle thus far, and this remains unchanged.”
His remarks appear to reflect a cautious stance, drawing a clear line against deployments that entail involvement in conflict or war, while leaving open the possibility of participating in activities aimed at ensuring the safety of nationals and securing resources.
Seoul has been put in a tough spot after U.S. President Donald Trump called out South Korea numerous times for not lending more support to the United States amid the Iran war.
“However, it is also clear that, just as other nations do, we must carry out basic activities to protect our merchant vessels, crude oil transport routes and the lives and safety of our citizens,” Lee said.
He added that a deployment to the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil chokepoint, would depend on the region, purpose and timing.
Some 150 Korean reporters and foreign correspondents attended the press conference, the seventh since Lee took office in June last year.
He noted that South Korea's Cheonghae Unit, which usually conducts anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia, has expanded its mission to include related activities in the area.
Lee said that while Seoul is deliberating on ways to strengthen these efforts, there will be “no dispatch of combat troops, or placing Korean troops in danger by assigning them under foreign military command.”
He stressed that the “principle of non-involvement and non-intervention in war has been maintained to date and will continue to be upheld.”
Lee said that misunderstandings can arise from lumping together the deployment of combat troops, non-combat troops and personnel with assets.
This comes amid political speculation that the government might opt for an indirect support strategy by expanding the Cheonghae Unit's operational zone to include missions aimed at securing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Cheonghae Unit’s primary mandate is to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden and protect South Korean citizens and vessels, and while altering the mission’s nature would require parliamentary approval, expanding the operational area while maintaining the existing mission designation does not necessitate such approval.
Lee also revealed that he had ordered a review of the possibility of South Korean merchant vessels entering the Red Sea route. While some countries are currently using the Red Sea route as an alternative to the blockaded Strait of Hormuz, tensions in the sea are escalating as well.
"Giving up on crude oil transport due to low-level risks would deal a massive blow to the economy, so I instructed officials to consider entering the Red Sea," Lee said, adding he would “take full responsibility for this decision” as president.
Regarding U.S. investment negotiations nearing a final agreement, Lee stated that decisions would be based primarily on the national interest, noting that the process must not be swayed by external relationship pressure or coercion.
“While it is said that an agreement is nearly reached, upon reviewing the details, we found certain aspects difficult to accept," Lee said. "We are currently discussing the matter further."
President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a press conference at the Blue House’s Yeongbingwan state guesthouse in central Seoul on Sept. 18.JOINT PRESS CORPS
“We are evaluating projects based on commercial viability, but there are complex considerations regarding how to recoup investments, how to distribute profits and how to handle projects that incur losses,” Lee said.
Seoul and Washington reached a trade deal last year in which Korea pledged to invest $350 billion, and the United States agreed to lower tariffs on Korean imports to 15 percent. However, the two sides have been ironing out details of the investment plan. A parliamentary briefing on the investment plans was delayed earlier this week.
When asked about the U.S. government pressuring Korean companies to build semiconductor plants in the United States, Lee replied, "We will reach a rational conclusion that protects Korea's national interest while respecting the views of the companies involved."
Regarding a potential summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Trump, Lee noted that "preparatory coordination is ongoing to make dialogue between the two sides possible."
“I can’t say for certain whether it will take place,” Lee said regarding a potential Kim-Trump summit. “What is clear is that President Trump wants dialogue, and I, too, have encouraged him to pursue it.”
Lee said current circumstances make such talks difficult, but added that “we can’t rule them out as impossible."
Lee noted that since Pyongyang is still refusing to communicate with Seoul, dialogue between North Korea and the United States would likely resume before inter-Korean dialogue resumes. “Resuming dialogue between North Korea and the United States is far easier than restarting inter-Korean dialogue, and such North-U.S. engagement can pave the way for inter-Korean dialogue.”
Addressing concerns about Seoul being sidelined in the process, Lee said that the South Korean government “has a vital role to play in advancing North Korea-U.S. relations,” thus "there is no need for concern” about being bypassed.
